The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BREADED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
R
E
A
D
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "covered in crumbs" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case covered in crumbs = breaded.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BREADED mean?
BREADED verb- To coat with breadcrumbs
- To make broad; spread.
- To form in meshes; net.
- Braided